All those who love outdoors might well know the food problems you’ve to face. Need not face them anymore! Next time you go out for camping, take the foldable oven with you. Researchers in Taiwan Textile Institute have developed a cloth that can take high temperatures (over 300 degrees) making it hot enough to roast chicken or bake cookies.
Now you need not struggle with soggy matches or lighters in the wind when you’re out camping. Whatever be the weather, you can simply get your fire started first time. The fire starter named Swedish Firesteel developed originally by Swedish Department of Defense helps producing a powerful 3,000ºC spark that lasts for 3,000 - 12,000 strikes.
Gail Knight, a British designer has developed two such rings that will guide the travelers in the unfamiliar places. These rings have global positioning satellite to guide the wearer. Also, there is a device controller which one needs to wear around the neck or clip on to clothing.
This device controller has all the necessary electronics that could not be fitted in the rings. The eight digit display allows for a postcode to be entered. It also has an electronic compass and GPS system that powers the navigation of this device.
Inside the rings there is a small vibrating motor and antenna which makes the rings buzz as soon as these receive the signal from the device controller. The rings buzz for left and right, and have different vibrations for forwards and backwards. When the wearer goes in a wrong direction both right and left buzz.
So, next time you are move don’t forget these vibrating rings who knows when you are caught in a place which you are totally unfamiliar with.
Source: BBC News
I believe it is not a memory lapse but an inherent flaw that the evolution has bestowed upon us. We’re doomed to forget what we put in our refrigerators days ago, only to remember it some days after it has actually gone unpleasant, to say the least. Some of us still have to eat it though.
Not any more! The brand new Food Fresh container will take care of that very well. This electronic device comes with a transparent lid and a mechanism that makes the food last fresh longer. You see, it is equipped with a built-in electronic pump that sucks out all the air from within the container and creates a vacuum within. An indicator light on the top ensures that you know exactly when the container has been freed of all the air. There’s even a date indicator on top to remind you of the exact date that you actually stored in the contents.
Fresh Food container runs on an AC adapter or alternatively four D-batteries will provide the required power. Retailing for $69.95, this is a good investment for those who have had enough of those rotten apples. Nice gadget to carry around on a trip.
What do you always do while preparing for a vacation…? You carry beers and other drinks along, but when you reach your destination, your beer is no more than a warm can of a sour drink.
Well with CarryCool this will not be a problem anymore. This amazing bag is just like a portable refrigerator. CarryCool plugs into your car cigarette lighter adapter and promises to keep your drinks chilly for all the time you are driving and on reaching your destination you’ll get a great can of chilled beer.
CarryCool is better than a cooler by all means since a cooler keeps your drinks cool for a short period of time on the other hand since the CarryCool is powered by electricity it will keep your drinks cold till the time you are driving.
Stay tuned for some more info.
Via: Sci-Fi
If you are a beach bum and love surfing, here’s some great news for you. Surfing is all about riding with the ocean waves and current. But, during this process someone can drown. The new radio for surfer has an inbuilt GPS unit that provides the surfer up to the minute information about the tide.
From my personal experiences, I know Mother Nature can be a moody lady. Weather conditions and waves as well as tides can change within a blink of an eye. For this reason, LenArtStudios has an excellent solution designed for surfers only.
This gadget will let surfers keep in touch. It is a two way radio with a built in GPS unit. As mentioned previously, it can also provide tide information. It also has an on board display unit that gives you information on screen. No pricing information has been found yet.
I know for sure that some people are purists and like to experience the water without any gear. However, I am a gear nerd. These gadgets are not only for show. They are nifty and can one day save your life in the water when things turn bad.
Also, the sooner surfers install these systems in their boards, the sooner the pure surfing culture of beach blonds, and sun will be gone.
Image Credit: Yankodesign
Source Link: Ubergizmo
While on move, do you ever find yourself desperately looking for a clean toilet in the city? Here’s a solution to your problem. MizPee is a new site promising to help you find the closest, cleanest toilet and gives you entertaining reading material once you get there.
How does it work?
Mizpee is a mobile-based service. You simply have to send a text message with your city and state location to (415) 350-2290 to receive an SMS link. You can also visit www.mizpee.com with a mobile browser and click on find toilet by inputting a location and clicking to find a list of results rated by a system of toilet paper rolls.
Five toilet paper icons means it’s very clean, and one means you should totally avoid it. MizPee also tells you which ones have diaper-changing stations, handicap access, and whether they’re open at the time. Scroll through the results to find the best location and factor for you.
This mobile service is currently limited to Portland, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Washington DC, Atlanta, Oakland, and San Jose but the company is working on adding other locations soon.
Since the service is cell phone-based, it is always with you, when you really need it. So, next time when you are traveling and nature calls, you don’t have to worry because Mizpee is there to help you find the closest and cleanest toilet.
Source: Gadling
Earlier we introduced you an all-in-one solar charger that promises to charge any of our cellphone via sunlight. Now, Orange has introduced a unique wind turbine notion that charges your mobile phone via wind-power.
This energy saving wind turbine can be easily mounted on your tent and weighs only 150g. To produce juice for your dying phones it generates and store power during the day and facilitates users to charge their mobiles in the evening.
It is worth mentioning that to develop a wind turbine charger Orange has also worked in conjunction with the University of Texas that will surely help trekkers to charge their important mode of communication called cellphones via wind, no matter where you are.But in contrast to all-in-one solar charger I think at present this wind gadget can only be used to charge mobiles.
Via: Hackedgadgets
Well, if you thought Bermuda Triangle was inaccessible through a boat, you might be wrong. The ‘Front-Runner’, capable of reaching places where its predecessors could not, might have the potential to make the impossible possible. The Front-Runner is more an aircraft than a boat and is 11 feet long. It incorporates twin 215 horsepower forward-mounted jet-drive motors and its airplane-like steering enables steep heading, pitching and banking to give an off-road like feel to the boatmen. The water-craft can be maneuvered even in shallow waters making it possible to reach even inaccessible locations.
The primary difference that this boat boasts of is the positioning of the motor. A front motor produces a ‘pulling’ sensation vis-à-vis the ‘pushing’ sensation created by conventional boats. This radically alters rider experience.
Still a concept, the boat is fabricated entirely with recyclable materials. The boat’s hydrofoil on four-bar linkage helps in controlling boat elevation and the ride. Its twin supercharged 215 horsepower motors are quite powerful for a small boat such as this. The Front-Runner sports a retractable California style top and ergonomically designed chairs for the crew for top-notch cruising comfort. The cargo area is quite roomy with a deck space of around 30 sq.ft. Its tambour rear door enables hassle-free loading and unloading. It also encompasses LCD, GPS, digital gauges and feedback control to offer the best of state-of-the-art technology. All these will provide you the ultimate boating experience.
Via: gizmag
Siemens, has just reported that the company has developed superconducting motors that can be used to run ships with electricity. No doubt, that electric powered vehicles are eco- friendly with good efficiency but now the question arises how many batteries these sea monsters will demand as compared to electric powered vehicles to power them up via electricity.
However, engineers are already using highly efficient superconducting electric motors to power large ships as a substitute to diesel but superconductors ability to operate at temperatures close to absolute zero, or about -273.15°C is still a big problem to make it happen. Now, Siemens has reported that they have overcome this barrier with the development of their new motor that uses high-temperature superconductors that work at -140°C.
In addition, by using these motors in large case under the ship that many cruise ships uses these days, the surrounding seawater will work as a very efficient cooling system to disperse adequate heat for the motor to enable it to function at required temperature.
Now, let us see how soon this new motor will help to overcome barrier that engineers are facing to power monstrous ships via electricity but we will definitely keep you posted.
Via: Ohgizmo
Ok so this one’s a new. A talking luggage ID. A high-tech solution for tagging your luggage while traveling. Yes, with this neat little gadget, you can replace the handwritten label attached to your traveling bag. ‘Lost & Found Sound Tag’ has the ability of recording a 20-second sound clip to pack in your name, address, phone number, hotel’s name and address, and all the other relevant mumbo-jumbo, which you think will ensure that your baggage reaches you if it goes missing.
Shaped like a cross and colored bright yellow, it is noticeable enough; provided of course that your baggage handler has not already removed it. It is battery-operated, comes packaged with 3 batteries and is a manageable 2 1/4 x 3″ in size. It has a red button which when pushed plays back the recorded message.
My only worry is who would want to buy something for which an easier solution already exists i.e. good old handwritten tags? Interested parties can buy it here for $14.98.
Via: Ubergizmo
Solar Sailor Holding in conjunction with Circle Line, a ferry operator that offers service to the statue of Liberty has unveiled their latest hybrid vessel known as Miss Statue of Liberty.
This solar and wind powered electric green ferry uses a ‘solar sail’ enclosed in solar panels to collect energy from the sun and wind to offer some electric power for the boat.
Its maximum speed is 13 knots and it accommodates approximately 600 passengers at a time to view the Statue of Liberty in New York. It is also skilled to catch the wind for forward motion.
According to the officials involved in the development of this avant-garde vessel it emits almost no noise, vibration or fumes and also helps in reducing water pollution and air emissions.
This new vessel is built at a cost of 8 to10 million dollars and it is expected that it will cost $2 million more than a standard ferry.
The real picture of this green ferry is not yet available but we will definitely keep you posted.
Via: Greenmedia
It will no more be difficult for visually impaired people to know about the unknown area. An interactive map which paints the picture with sound and not images allows a person to explore a city either from bird’s eye perspective or by walking through a virtual three dimensional environment.
This technology not only aides the visually impaired by giving them the sense of place before they explore, it could also offer audio cues to sighted people when they are in blind situations.
The city can be explored by moving a stylus across a tablet PC. The stylus and the edges of the PC help the person feel the extent of the map and develop mental model of the space.
Geographic features such as buildings, parks, lakes and tourist sites are represented by corresponding sounds. A park sounds like singing birds, lakes sound like dabbling water and sightseeing spots sound like camera shutter clicks.
The map comes with an auditory torch, which can be used to acoustically illuminate large or small areas one at a time. The features that fall under the glow of the torch will make noise as the torch is moved around. The objects that are nearby sound louder than those that are far away.
Ben Shneiderman of the University of Maryland, College Park, calls the interactive map an inspirational prototype.
If the interactive map is paired with tactile technology, it would help the person to navigate actual city streets. That means, if the person knows the map and wants to walk to a particular place; he/ she can download the information to a vibrating belt and wear the belt on the journey. There will be different sides of the belt which would vibrate and cue the person to turn left or right, ultimately guiding the person to the final destination.
Source: Discovery News
Have you dreamed of following your friends using Google Earth? Well, dream no more, the Trackstick II is here and it’s guaranteed to creep you out. You will be able to track and record all of its movement, the little device is literally a tracker you’d see in spy movies.
The Trackstick II is a sequel. It’s an updated version of the original Trackstick. The gadget is a GPS data logger designed specifically with Google Earth. It can continuously record its own location history for extended period of time while running on two AAA batteries. It lets you keep a satellite scrapbook of all your travels and record your explorations.
The Trackstick II records its own location, time, date, speed, heading and altitude at preset intervals. With over 1Mb of memory, it can store months of travel information. The Trackstick is the perfect tool for individuals looking for a way to track anything that moves.
How it works?
The Trackstick II receives signals from twenty four satellites orbiting the earth. With this information, the Trackstick II can precisely calculate its own position anywhere on the planet to within fifteen meters.
Where does it work?
The Trackstick II will work anywhere on the planet. Your exact location and the route travelled can be viewed and played back directly within Google Earth. Everything is included and there is no monthly fees.
Use it for recording the exact routes you take when hiking, biking or vacationing.
Record the location of everywhere you go, import pictures and other information into Google Earth to offer an entirely new perspective of your journey.
Trackstick II’s data can be downloaded to your (Windows-only) computer via USB and viewed on Google Earth’s 3D model of the planet. Google Earth Store sells the units for $169.
Source: gadling
The new carbinner-styled HangTimer multifunction sports watch from the house of DropZone Corp. brings a new spin on the mechanism of classic sports watches. It is the just right measurement device for those fellows who equate defying gravity as athletic triumph.
From wakeboarding to mountain biking to snowboarding, the HangTimer has the capability to computes your hangtime to the fraction of a second using a built-in accelerometer. The notable specs include a history of your last 10 jumps, best hangtime, average hangtime and a sensitivity setting from 0.25 to 2 seconds to fine-tune for sport and experience.
Moreover, the HangTimer has been designed tough to survive those tough landings as it is shockproof, water-resistant and luminescent. The device can be charged with two AAA batteries. The HangTimer sports watch is priced at $107 including shipping fees.
